(Communicated by the Deputy Foreign Minister’s Bureau)
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon referred to the flotilla in an interview today (Saturday, 29 May 2010), and stated that "This is a provocation intended to delegitimize Israel. There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. If the flotilla had a genuine humanitarian goal, then its organizers should have transferred something for the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit as well. Their refusal to do so clearly indicates that humanitarian issues were not their goal. We will not allow the flotilla to enter Gaza, as this is an infringement of Israel’s sovereignty. We are organizing the information background, but information considerations are secondary to security and political considerations."
Deputy FM Ayalon referred to the boycott of Israeli products by the Palestinian Authority, and stated that "After Israel declared its acceptance of the two-state solution, froze construction and removed roadblocks, the Palestinians are continuing their incitement against Israel. This is a rejection of mutual trust. It is impossible to talk peace on the one hand, while continuing with incitement on the other."
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the Deputy Foreign Minister stated that "Israel is not escalating the situation. Iran is the only country who has an interest in escalating the situation in the region." He added further that "The continued smuggling of weapons to Hizbullah is a blatant violation of UN Resolution 1701."